Bad News on Our Land Exchange Application
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Your land, your heritage, your future Bad news on our land exchange application Cowslips on Dellfield Photo: Ian Waterfield The Trust received some very disappointing news recently. Our application to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for de-registration and exchange of Common Land, which so many local people had supported, has been refused. The application sought approval for common land restrictions to be • Helped to ensure long term protection of Dellfield lifted on 4 pieces of land at Two Waters and Box Hill near the Trust • Led to badly needed affordable housing at Two Waters East Centre and transferred to our lovely wildflower meadow, Dellfield, in Westbrook Hay. The exchange application if approved would have There were two public consultations and we were supported by increased the amount of common land by 2 acres but the eventual a large majority that included charities, national bodies and local development of the Field known as Two Waters East would have Councillors from different political parties. Sadly that was not to reduced the balance of our overall amenity land by 1.5 acres be enough. It is ironic that a Charity which has increased amenity land by 250 acres in 20 years and which needs an annual income If approval had been given, it would have: from TWE to buy more has been turned down because of the • Helped the Trust achieve sustainable income from the small field loss of just 1.5 acres. known as Two Waters East. This would have prevented cutbacks in grants to the community, environmental education, project There is no appeal so we are searching hard for 1.5 acres of work and events that will be needed as a result of the Trust’s alternative land that fits all the difficult criteria. Full background reduced income following the crash in commercial property rents. on the application can be found on our website. • Enabled improvements to community facilities near the river in David Kirk, Chair Apsley for a growing population. Box Moor Trust • Given the Trust the opportunity to work with the Borough Council to provide footpath access through Durrants Hill Lakes • Allowed fencing and animal housing to be erected on Box Hill. This would help build on our popular family lambing days and deliver more awareness about farming practices For more news visit www.boxmoortrust.org.uk Box Moor Trust Winter 2020/21 Newsletter Results: 2020 Trustee Election Thank you to all our beneficiaries who voted in our 2020 Trustee election. As a result of the ballot, six candidates have been duly elected to serve as Trustees. They are: Peter Ablett 2,371 votes Our congratulations go to them and we look forward to working with them going forward. Graham French 1,935 votes We would also like to extend our thanks to Julie James 3,123 votes all the candidates who stood. Peter Phillips 1,941 votes Patrick Schneiders 2,162 votes The number of eligible voters: 40,977 The total number who cast votes: 4,317 Steve Wilson 2,419 votes Turnout: 10.54% Meet your new Trustees: Peter Ablett was re-elected and looks Graham French is an ex-police forward to continuing to support the officer with the Metropolitan Police Trust in demonstrating best practice in who moved to Boxmoor in 1998. He managing its resources for the benefit walks his dogs on Trust land every day, of all local residents, including providing meeting and chatting to local people opportunities for volunteering, learning and listening to their thoughts on and relaxing. issues about the Trust. Julie James lives in Chaulden with her Peter Phillips was also re-elected husband and children. She has a long and has been a Trustee for 15 years, association with the Trust through the most recently as Chair of the Finance Saturday clubs and helping out with & Assets Committee. A retired widower education visits for local children and with a background in finance and law, is keen to promote the Trust’s work in he has time to apply to Trust matters education, conservation and farming. on a regular basis. Patrick Schneiders recently moved Steve Wilson A HH resident since back to Bovingdon to be closer to where 1954, Steve taught at Astley Cooper he grew up. He has worked for 9 years School and now volunteers for Dacorum in the environmental sector specialising Environmental Forum and the Friends in habitat creation, wildlife enhancement of Gadebridge Park. More recently, he and sustainability. was co-opted onto the Box Moor Trust’s Education & Community committee. Our newly-elected Trustees join David Kirk, Dennis Furnell, Steven Mansbridge, Nat Sims, Andy Cook and George Tite in governing Trust policy and direction. Launch of ‘Kickstart for Dacorum’ The Box Moor Trust in partnership with To qualify, individuals must be aged 16 to Photo: Elizabeth Warriner Hemel Hempstead Business Ambassadors, 24 years, registered with the Department has announced ‘Kickstart for Dacorum’, an for Work and Pensions (DWP), qualify for initiative for local young people not currently in Universal Credit and be willing and available Hedge Laying at employment to develop work skills and help to work a minimum of 25 hours per week for them to move into sustained employment. 6 months. Individuals will receive 6 months of quality work experience in their chosen Three Crofts A serious impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Early in December, skilled volunteers role along with training that increases their is its effect on youth unemployment and its Tim Edwin, Chris Whittle and Liz & attractiveness to future employers and economic threat to the local community in David Warriner undertook a hedge long-term employment. Dacorum. This initiative sets out to help avert laying task at Three Crofts, a meadow a youth employment crisis in Dacorum. Along with work experience provided by on the perimeter of Westbrook Hay. businesses, it is intended that this local No staff were involved – it was purely a Under the Government ‘Kickstart Scheme’ initiative will also provide individuals with volunteer task. About 60m of hedging, the Trust will offer paid 6-month work structured employability skills. mainly blackthorn, hawthorn, field maple experience for a group of qualifying and Ash, were laid in a ‘conservation individuals. Importantly, the Trust has decided Local businesses interested in joining the style’ to encourage thick regrowth to to take on the key task of being one of initiative and hosting individuals will receive create a safe space for nesting birds only 14 Gateways in Hertfordshire to help both administrative and financial support. and a wildlife corridor. smaller local businesses with administration, For more information and for businesses delivery and training aspects of the scheme. to register their interest please visit: https:// The latest lockdown has delayed matters www.boxmoortrust.org.uk/kickstart-scheme/ Red Kite Rescue somewhat but if the required number of or email us at kickstartfordacorum@ placements is reached it is hoped that the boxmoortrust.org.uk Some of our conservation volunteers first opportunities for young people will begin found themselves called upon for a to be advertised in a few weeks. spot of wildlife rescue whilst working at Upper Roughdown Common recently. For more information on the Government Kickstart scheme visit: They were sowing Kidney Vetch https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/kickstart-scheme seeds (sole food plant for the larvae of Britain’s smallest butterfly, the Small Blue) when they noticed a Red Kite that appeared unable to fly. They contacted Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital and We are delighted to support this local initiative which we hope will give the next their volunteer David Evans, with the generation of employees access to our local businesses and help their long-term assistance of Trust volunteer Iain Nibbsy, career prospects. The Government Kickstart scheme offers great opportunities with managed to catch the bird so it could funding for both young people and businesses to connect positively. The Box Moor be cared for back at the animal hospital. Trust as a local community ‘not-for-profit’ organisation is ideally placed to make the When caught, the bird ‘played dead’ scheme accessible and beneficial for our local community”. (a typical defence mechanism), which meant it could be safely contained. Jean McLeish, Chair of Hemel Hempstead Business Ambassadors Hopefully, after recovery it will be released back into the wild. I congratulate the Box Moor Trust and Hemel Hempstead Business Ambassadors on the hard work they have done to be able to launch the ‘Kickstart for Dacorum’ initiative. This is great opportunity for young people who are currently not in work and for small businesses who can use this scheme as a ‘Gateway’ to the Government’s Kickstart scheme. I would encourage any small business that would like to employ a young person on the Government Kickstart scheme to get in touch with them.” Sir Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead Photo: Mike Dunks Box Moor Trust Winter 2020/21 Newsletter Farewell to Caroline and Ben In December, we bade farewell to two valued members of staff, both of whom are heading for pastures new. Caroline Evans has been our Education & primary school. Popular with her colleagues Community Manager for the past 8 years at the Trust and in the wider community, and in that time has been instrumental in the she will be sorely missed. development and delivery of our education programme for schools, uniform groups Our Ecology Ranger, Ben Sale, is leaving and adult learners. She has also been a to take up a full-time post closer to his key member of the team managing and home. Working with the estate team on supporting our amazing volunteers, has conservation management of the Trust’s organised a range of popular events and unique open spaces and habitats, Ben’s activity days for the local community and role was also to support wildlife awareness has been the lead on Safeguarding and within the community and undertake Data Protection on behalf of the Trust.